Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Like the perfect ending
It won't be too long
Til everything I've ruined has seen me gone
In time I pray you'll forgive
Now you know the man I am
Can you forgive me?
I fall
Like the sands of time
Like some broken rhyme
At feet no longer there
If only I could call the rain to melt and wash away the pain you feel,
I would
You gave yourself to me and showed me what the truth could be
For that I say thank you
This was my life
It never made much sense to me
With every lie that I lived
A part of me would fade
Into this empty shadow I've become
And now I feel so numb
I no longer know myself
But I still know you
I call
And there's no reply
Like some phantom cry
On ears too far away
I close my eyes and watch as my life passes by
The only thing I see is you
For all the times you walked the line for me and standing by my side
I say thank you
Here lies my life
It never felt that real to me
And there's no reply
And there's no reply
You'll never know how much you meant to me
And there's no reply
And there's no reply
You'll never know how much you meant to me
If only I could call the rain to melt and wash away the pain you feel,
I would
You gave yourself to me and showed me what the truth could be
For that I say thank you
(I say thank you)
I close my eyes and watch as my life passes by
The only thing I see is you
For all the times you walked the line for me and standing by my side
I say thank you
You in my life
It all meant so much more
To be
It won't be too long
Til everything I've ruined has seen me gone
In time I pray you'll forgive
Now you know the man I am
Can you forgive me?
I fall
Like the sands of time
Like some broken rhyme
At feet no longer there
If only I could call the rain to melt and wash away the pain you feel,
I would
You gave yourself to me and showed me what the truth could be
For that I say thank you
This was my life
It never made much sense to me
With every lie that I lived
A part of me would fade
Into this empty shadow I've become
And now I feel so numb
I no longer know myself
But I still know you
I call
And there's no reply
Like some phantom cry
On ears too far away
I close my eyes and watch as my life passes by
The only thing I see is you
For all the times you walked the line for me and standing by my side
I say thank you
Here lies my life
It never felt that real to me
And there's no reply
And there's no reply
You'll never know how much you meant to me
And there's no reply
And there's no reply
You'll never know how much you meant to me
If only I could call the rain to melt and wash away the pain you feel,
I would
You gave yourself to me and showed me what the truth could be
For that I say thank you
(I say thank you)
I close my eyes and watch as my life passes by
The only thing I see is you
For all the times you walked the line for me and standing by my side
I say thank you
You in my life
It all meant so much more
To be
Lyrics submitted by Yuffers
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This song is so beautiful, and so strong. To me its about a guy who thinks less of himself, who has messed up so many times, caused the one he cares about so much pain that she left. He doesn't understand why he does what he does, but he knows that she is very important. He's become the mask he put on to hide his secrets and the only "truth" he knows is her. So he seeks for her, but she's gone. He confesses how much he feels about her appriciates her, but she's not there to hear it.
I love how the stronger/more important the words are, the faster/more dramatic the melody becomes and the whole song seems to peak at "I say thank you". Even right now this song makes my eyes wet thinking about the best friend I've ever had...
thank you Kimberly.